9.28.2006

3 Things for today:

1. New Masthead sub header... as I know there are some of you who miss this, here are some of the ones I have used in the past - good for a little chuckle, anyway:

Now Completely Half-Fledged
Drek, In Its Purest Pharmaceutical Form
Multi-Tasking My Way Through All 7 Deadly Sins
Now 100% Bacon-Free
Shut Up Or I'll Punch You So Hard Your Whole Family Will Die
My Favorite Color Is "Clear"



2. Go here, do this:

3. Why do you think HP spied on its Board members and reporters? The CEO reports that they felt the "ends justified the means." This is the problem with today's pulicly traded companies, and their greedy leadership. MANY public companies are willing to sacrifice long term gains in favor of a favorable quarterly report, securing the short-term share price. Leadership in these companies is without ethics or morals. Many top-tier leaders have VERY high compensation based upon quarterly or yearly share price strike numbers, and are willing to sell their souls to the devil in order to obtain that very fat platinum parachute, 7 figure bonus number. Many in this upper echelon are there for three to five years, then retire with MILLIONS of dollars, without caring for the longer-term health of the company they just cannibalized. As I often say, "follow the money". I'm just sayin'.

2 comments:

Scott Hinrichs said...

The shortsighted (quarterly) view of American business today is fueled by shortsighted investors. A huge percentage of Americans have moved into the investor class, which has fueled the growth of investment funds--what the industry refers to as institutional investors--that represent a whole lot of our cash.

The jobs of institutional investors (as well as their prestige among their peers) is determined by their ability to attract cash and build their funds. Cash is attracted as funds perform well enough to get more people to invest more money in them.

The average individual investor is unwilling to become sufficiently educated to understand what really works well in the market, so they go for what appears to be performing well at the moment (thus often buying high). They don't want to buy into a fund that did poorly last quarter. They assume this implies future performance, when it is only one factor. They often dump funds that perform poorly in a given quarter (thus often selling low).

In short, individual investors' ignorance helps fuel the corporate greed you discussed in your post.

That One Guy said...

You hit the head right on the nail.